Method, computer-readable storage medium, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for identifying available channels and/or services

ABSTRACT

A method, computer-readable storage medium, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for generating a list of accessible channels. The method includes retrieving from a primary server terrestrial broadcast channel information associated with a predetermined geographical region. The terrestrial broadcast channel information includes, for each broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographical region, one or a combination of a broadcast channel and a secondary server location associated with the respective broadcaster. Service information is retrieved, for each of at least one broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographical region, from a secondary server associated with the respective broadcaster based on the terrestrial broadcast channel information. The reception apparatus determines, for each of the at least one broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographical region, whether the broadcast channel associated with the respective broadcaster is receivable by the reception apparatus. The reception apparatus generates the list of accessible channels based on the determination.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/830,500, filed Jun. 3, 2013, the entire contentsof which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Technical Field

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a method,computer-readable storage medium, reception apparatus, and informationproviding apparatus for facilitating the identification of availablechannels, services, programming information, etc.

BACKGROUND

A user setup function is typically required in traditional digitaltelevision receivers, and this function involves a time consumingchannel scan process. During channel scan, the receiver generally tunesto each broadcast frequency band, in sequence, to determine whether ornot a digital signal is found on that frequency. For those frequenciesfound to have a broadcast signal, the receiver determines the services(e.g., virtual channels) available within the digital multiplex found inthat modulated transmission signal.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to reducing theamount of time needed to identify available channels and/or services.For example, certain embodiments are directed to reducing the timerequired to perform the channel scan process of a digital televisionreceiver. Embodiments of the present disclosure also enhance thereceiver's performance and adaptability to changes in the landscape ofavailable receiving services, and can enable a mobile receiver toperform optimally as receiving conditions change.

Although the present disclosure is primarily described with respect toscanning television broadcast signals, the embodiments can be applied toidentifying available channels and/or services provided via otherdelivery methods such as cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the present application and many of theattendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the samebecomes better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary broadcast system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary reception apparatus.

FIG. 3 is another block diagram of an exemplary reception apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a method for generating a list ofaccessible channels.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another method for generating a list ofaccessible channels.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary table containing a Broadcast License Data(BLD) File.

FIG. 7A shows exemplary search results from a regional server.

FIG. 7B shows an exemplary detailed record from the regional server.

FIG. 7C shows an example of a service contour for a Digital Television(DTV) station in the state of Washington.

FIG. 8 shows exemplary minimum signal levels requirements for certainchannels to be tunable.

FIG. 9 is an example of service contours for a plurality ofbroadcasters.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary virtual channel table.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary block diagram of a computer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in manydifferent forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein bedescribed in detail specific embodiments, with the understanding thatthe present disclosure of such embodiments is to be considered as anexample of the principles and not intended to limit the presentdisclosure to the specific embodiments shown and described. In thedescription below, like reference numerals are used to describe thesame, similar or corresponding parts in the several views of thedrawings.

The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more thanone. The term “plurality”, as used herein, is defined as two or morethan two. The term “another”, as used herein, is defined as at least asecond or more. The terms “including” and/or “having”, as used herein,are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled”, asused herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly,and not necessarily mechanically. The term “program” or “computerprogram” or similar terms, as used herein, is defined as a sequence ofinstructions designed for execution on a computer system. A “program”,or “computer program”, may include a subroutine, a program module, ascript, a function, a procedure, an object method, an objectimplementation, in an executable application, an applet, a servlet, asource code, an object code, a shared library/dynamic load libraryand/or other sequence of instructions designed for execution on acomputer system.

The term “program”, as used herein, may also be used in a second context(the above definition being for the first context). In the secondcontext, the term is used in the sense of a “television program”. Inthis context, the term is used to mean any coherent sequence ofaudio/video content such as those which would be interpreted as andreported in an electronic program guide (EPG) as a single televisionprogram, without regard for whether the content is a movie, sportingevent, segment of a multi-part series, news broadcast, etc. The term mayalso be interpreted to encompass commercial spots and other program-likecontent which may not be reported as a program in an EPG.

Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment,” “certainembodiments,” “an embodiment,” “an implementation,” “an example” orsimilar terms means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, theappearances of such phrases or in various places throughout thisspecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments withoutlimitation.

The term “or” as used herein is to be interpreted as inclusive ormeaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B or C” means “any ofthe following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C”. Anexception to this definition will occur only when a combination ofelements, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutuallyexclusive.

There are certain aspects of operation of the traditional terrestrialbroadcast system that are less than optimal. For example, the timerequired to perform a channel scan, for determining available channels,can be quite long (e.g., several minutes). Accessing program guideinformation can be a time consuming process as well, because therepetition rate of certain tables, especially those describing scheduledprogramming further into the future, can be long.

Further, an update to a channel map is typically not performedautomatically. Such updates are typically performed only when a userasks for the channel scan to be performed. Thus changes may not beprocessed in the receiver in a timely fashion. In addition, whenever thechannel scan is performed, the tuner must be employed, thus normalviewing or another use of the tuner, such as recording, may be impacted.Receivers not installed in a fixed location, such as those installed invehicles or those that are portable, can also be a challenge todesigners because reception conditions change and frequent and repeatedchannel scans can be awkward and cumbersome for the user.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure aim to address theabove-noted problems. For example, certain embodiments disclosed hereinreduce the time required to complete the task of acquiring a partial orfull description of digital services available to a receiver.Additionally, certain embodiments disclosed herein perform automatic(background) updates to the channel/service map without impactingviewing or recording functions in the receiver. Further, certainembodiments disclosed herein enable the receiver to obtain program guideinformation more quickly, even for programs scheduled to be broadcastedfar into the future.

Moreover, different modulation modes may be utilized to transmitcarriers associated with a virtual cannel. In the future, in anext-generation broadcast transmission system (e.g., as envisioned forthe next generation broadcast system under development in the UnitedStates, called “ATSC 3.0”), certain new modulation parameters may beemployed. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide areceiver with one or more modulation parameters, which identify themodulation mode used, prior to tuning, to reduce the time required toaccess a channel.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block diagram that shows anexemplary broadcast system 2, including a plurality of content (orservice) providers 53A, 53B, a reception apparatus 1, a primary server70, and a plurality of secondary servers 73A, 73B. The receptionapparatus 1 accesses the primary server 70 and/or the plurality ofsecondary servers 73A, 73B via a communication network, for example, theInternet 71.

In one embodiment, the primary server 70 is managed, for example, by agovernment authority that manages a particular region's wirelessspectrum (e.g., the Federal Communications Commission [FCC] in theUnited States). Such a server may also be referred to as a “regionalserver” in the present disclosure. The primary server 70 storesterrestrial broadcast channel information for one or more predeterminedgeographical regions (e.g., all or part of the licensed terrestrialbroadcast channels of a country). The terrestrial broadcast channelinformation includes, for each broadcaster associated with apredetermined geographical region, one or a combination of a broadcastchannel, the geographical area encompassed by a signal associated withthat broadcast license, and a location (e.g., URL) of a broadcasterlocal server (BLS, e.g., secondary server 73A or 73B) associated with,or otherwise operated by, the respective broadcaster.

In one embodiment, a separate secondary server (e.g., secondary servers73A, 73B) is provided by, or otherwise associated with, each licensedbroadcast station owner, and are referred to as BLSs. The URL for eachof the BLSs is available within metadata provided by the primary server70.

Note that, for the purposes of the present disclosure, a “broadcaster”could be considered to be the provider of television services within acertain geographic service area, even if that entity does not operate aphysical transmitter. The television services offered by that“broadcaster” could be provided by one or more Internet servers operatedby that entity. The system described herein associates that serviceprovider with receivers inside a certain geographic area. This can behelpful for content licensing purposes, and to ensure that localadvertising reaches only receivers in the local area served by thatoperator. Such an embodiment could be used for example in conjunctionwith authentication described below in which case a receiver's locationcan be verified and certain content can be enabled for reception.

In certain embodiments, the primary server 70 provides one or more filescontaining broadcast license data (BLD) records. The BLD records are anexample of terrestrial broadcast channel information. Each recordcorresponds to one broadcast license. The broadcast license correspondsto one physical transmission frequency in a certain geographic area.Each BLD record includes, but is not limited to, the call letters of thebroadcaster, the physical transmission frequency of the broadcaster'stransmitter, and a location (e.g., URL) of an associated secondaryserver (e.g., secondary server 73A or 73B). The secondary server mayalso be referred to as a BLS in the present disclosure. Such secondaryservers are servers managed by or otherwise associated with terrestrialbroadcasters.

It is noted that in case of advanced physical transmission systems, someadditional parameters may be included in addition to the frequency. Suchadditional parameters may be added as required to assist the receptionapparatus 1 in quickly accessing the transmission multiplex. Exemplaryparameters include identification of an error correcting coding layer,modulation modes (e.g., DVB-T2), which portions of the broadcast streamcorrespond to which services, etc.

FIG. 6 shows exemplary contents of a Broadcast License Data (BLD) filefor zip code 98072 in the State of Washington according to certainembodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the BLDfile includes the call letters, RF channel, and a secondary server URLfor each broadcaster included in the BLD file, which in this case arethe broadcasters that broadcast content and/or services that might bereceivable by receivers located somewhere within the area of zip code98072. In another embodiment, the BLD file includes the RF channeland/or a secondary server URL for each broadcaster, but does not includecall letters.

In certain embodiments, a BLD record may further include the servicearea of the broadcaster's transmission signal. When the service area ofthe broadcaster's transmission signal is included, the service area maybe represented in a variety of ways, for example, as a list ofcoordinates representing points on a closed curve, where the curvedelimits the boundary of the service area, or a list of zip codes orpostal codes corresponding to areas that are completely or partiallycontained within the service area. The service area may be representedas the union of one or more geographic areas, each of which could be acircle or polygon. The service area may be represented as a list ofcounty codes corresponding to areas that are completely or partiallycontained within the service area. The service area may be representedas a list of city codes corresponding to areas that are completely orpartially contained within the service area. The service area may alsobe represented by any combination of the above-noted representations.

Depending on the type of terrestrial broadcast channel informationavailable to the reception apparatus 1, the reception apparatus 1 mayneed to utilize its location information or the service area informationto determine which broadcast channels are estimated to be receivable orare receivable by the reception apparatus 1. Alternatively, thereception apparatus 1 submits its location information to the primaryserver 70, which determines which broadcast channels are estimated to bereceivable or are receivable by the reception apparatus 1.

The BLD records may be organized in a number of different ways. Forexample, the BLD records for the entire country are provided within onefile and each record includes a service area. Alternatively, BLD filesare organized by states/regions and each record includes a service area.In this case, the reception apparatus 1, knowing the code for thestate/region in which the reception apparatus 1 resides, downloads theBLD file associated with that state/region. The data within each filemay include data associated with broadcasters in nearby states as well,because a reception apparatus 1 near the state border may accessbroadcast signals across the state line.

In another example, as mentioned, the BLD records are organized by zipcode. Each file contains all or part of the broadcasters whose signalsmay potentially be received by receivers located within a particular zipcode. For example, each file includes BLD records corresponding tobroadcasters whose service area intersects all or a portion of the zipor postal code of that file. Thus, a receiver known to be located in aparticular zip or postal code area can be expected to receive all or aportion of the broadcast signals listed, and no others. The BLD recordsmay also be organized by state and county code in a similar fashion. Inthe case of zip codes, a broadcaster may be required to report which zipcodes receive its broadcasts. Alternatively, this determination may bemade by the managing authority.

In another example, the BLD records are organized by latitude/longitudecoordinates. In this case, the approximate latitude and longitude of alocation of the reception apparatus 1 is determined. Such determinationmay be performed by translation from the residential address or via aGlobal Positioning System (GPS) function available to the receiver.Furthermore, an approximate or exact location of the receiver may bedetermined using the Internet Protocol address (IP address) of thereception apparatus 1, in conjunction with information provided by theInternet service provider (ISP).

An exemplary detailed BLD record available from the FCC is illustratedin FIG. 7B. As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the record includes a call sign(i.e., KCTS-TV) and an RF channel. However, the record does not includea secondary server URL. Thus, in one embodiment, the BLD record ismodified to further include secondary server location information. Inanother embodiment, the primary and second servers are combined suchthat the secondary server location information is not needed. The BLDrecord illustrated in FIG. 7B is further discussed below. The BLD recordmay also be modified to include any other terrestrial broadcast channelor service information that is not currently included in the BLD record.

The secondary servers 73A, 73B are servers managed by the contentproviders 53A, 53B, respectively. The secondary servers 73A, 73B areconfigured to provide service information to the reception apparatus 1.In one embodiment, the service information is service description data(SDD), for example, in the form of service files.

For example, the SDD associated with a particular broadcaster includesone or a combination of a broadcast frequency; a description of one ormore modulation modes employed by the broadcaster within the referencedtransmission (e.g. PHY layer data); metadata describing the transmissionmultiplex, including transport-related parameters such as transmissionsignal ID; a description of the service offerings available within thebroadcast multiplex (e.g., analogous to the VCT specified in ATSC A/65Program and System Information Protocol [PSIP]); program guide data;description of Internet-related services offered by the broadcaster,such as non-real time (NRT) and streaming services; URLs for eachprogram in the broadcaster's schedule (e.g., for each channel, whenmultiple channels are provided in the broadcast multiplex), where eachURL may point to a location of interactive content associated with thegiven program; and a pointer to a website where the viewer is able tosign up for a service, such as subscription to pay-per-view orsubscription-based service and content offerings. ATSC standard A/65 isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In certain embodiments, the SDD includes a portion or all of thebroadcast channel metadata. For example, the SDD includes one or acombination of a broadcast channel, one or more modulation modes,metadata describing a broadcast multiplex carried on the broadcastchannel, a description of one or more services available within thebroadcast multiplex, and program guide data associated with a respectivecontent provider.

In one embodiment, the service files have the same content as the dataprovided in the broadcast signal but may be provided via the Internet inthe form of XML files (e.g., PSIP data represented in XML format),compressed XML, or similar. Other formats are possible including binaryformats. Note that an XML representation of PSIP data is defined in theProgramming Metadata Communication Protocol Standard defined in ATSCstandard A/76, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Each of the content providers 53A, 53B includes a transmission apparatuswith a transmitter that is configured to transmit one or more contentitems and/or services to the reception apparatus 1. In otherembodiments, the transmission apparatus may be shared by a plurality ofdifferent content providers.

In certain embodiments, each content or service is associated with avirtual channel, and is received by the reception apparatus 1 via afirst communication interface (e.g., a digital television tuner). Thereception apparatus 1 is configured to receive the content and/orservices from the content providers 53A, 53B via, for example, aterrestrial broadcast.

The content providers 53A, 53B, in other embodiments, provide thecontent via, at least, one of a satellite broadcast, a cable televisiontransmission, a terrestrial television broadcast, cellular network, anddata communication network, for example, a local area network (LAN),wide area network (WAN), or the Internet 71. The connection to the localarea network (LAN), the wide area network (WAN), or the Internet 71 maybe wired or wireless.

The content provided by each of the content providers 53A, 53B includes,for example, one or more television programs, without regard to whetherthe content is a movie, sporting event, segment of a multi-part series,news broadcast, etc. Further, the content provided by each of thecontent provider 53A, 53B may also include advertisements, infomercials,and other program-like content which may not be reported as a program inan electronic program guide (EPG). The services can include but are notlimited to linear TV services, non-real-time content, interactiveelements associated with regular (“linear”) television programming,web-based content, and streaming audio/video services available viaInternet servers.

The reception apparatus 1 uses a virtual channel table (VCT) to tune tothe content and/or service provided by each of the content providers53A, 53B. An exemplary VCT is illustrated in FIG. 10.

In telecommunications, a virtual channel is a channel designation whichmay differ from the actual physical transmission channel or frequency onwhich a transport stream (TS) is modulated. The term is often applied inthe television environment, where several Digital Television (DTV)channels may be present within a single 6 MHz physical channel. Forexample, a station branded as Channel 8 might actually use RF channel 32for its transmitted signal, but a VCT allows viewers to “tune in” thestation on channel 8 on a digital television. The virtual channel entryin the VCT thus enables viewers to select the station by choosing thesame channel number even in such cases where the broadcaster's physicaltransmission frequency may be changed for some reason (as when “spectrumrepacking” occurs). The VCT accomplishes this by using definedparameters to link a channel number to content received from aterrestrial broadcast, cable television transmission, satellitebroadcast, etc. These defined parameters may include the major channelnumber, minor channel number, short name, service type, one or moredescriptors, etc.

In one embodiment, the VCT is in accordance with the Advanced TelevisionSystems Committee (ATSC) VCT defined by ATSC A/65 Program and SystemInformation Protocol (PSIP). An exemplary VCT is described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/562,946, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

It should be noted that a broadcast channel associated with the virtualchannel can include metadata such as channel descriptions and programguide data. In some embodiments, the channel is associated withelectronic program guide data delivered via the A/65 Event InformationTable (EIT), an Extended Text Table (ETT), or other means. In oneembodiment, the metadata for a broadcast channel includes PSIP dataincluded in a TS to be transmitted via terrestrial broadcast. The dataincludes one or a combination of (1) a Terrestrial Virtual Channel Table(TVCT) defining, for example, MPEG-2 program embedded in the TS in whichthe TVCT is carried; (2) a Master Guide Table (MGT) defining the type,packet identifiers, and versions for all the other PSIP tables in theTS, except for the System Time Table (STT); (3) a Rating Region Table(RRT) defining the TV parental guideline (rating information) systemreferenced by any content advisory descriptor carried within the TS; and(4) a System Time Table (STT), defining a current date and time of day.

As described above, one or any combination of the preceding metadata maybe included in the service information. In a further embodiment, one orany combination of the preceding metadata may, alternatively oradditionally, be included in the terrestrial broadcast channelinformation.

The Internet 71 is accessed by the reception apparatus 1 to connect toat least one of the primary server 70, secondary server 73A, andsecondary server 73B to access, for example, channel and/or serviceinformation.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary reception apparatus 1. Thereception apparatus 1 is a home video processor such as a personalcomputer or a television receiver, or an information processor such as aPersonal Digital Assistant (PDA), smartphone, tablet computer, home orportable music player, or home or portable gaming machine. Further, thereception apparatus 1 may be a standalone device or incorporated, forexample, in a television set or other consumer electronics device. Forexample, in one embodiment, the reception apparatus 1 is a digitaltelevision receiver device that may be incorporated into a televisionset or a set top box.

The reception apparatus 1 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 10, amemory 30, an audio interface 20, a display interface 40, a remotecontrol receiver 60, a tuner interface 50 (e.g., a first communicationinterface), and a network interface 70 (e.g., a second communicationinterface).

Data is communicated via one or more buses 11. Audio and/or videostreams that have been decoded by the tuner interface 50 are retrieved.The decoded audio stream is sent to the audio interface 20 and thedecoded video stream is sent to the display interface 40. The CPU 10also receives data from and sends data to the Internet 71 via thenetwork interface 70. Further, the CPU 10 executes commands received bythe remote control receiver 60. These commands can be in the form of adirect channel entry through the keypad of the remote control unit 61 orinputs from the remote control unit 61 using an on-screen channel guide.

The memory 30 stores the data used by the reception apparatus 1. Thememory 30 within the reception apparatus 1 can be implemented using discstorage form as well as other forms of storage such as non-transitorystorage devices including for example network memory devices, magneticstorage elements, magneto-optical storage elements, flash memory, corememory and/or other non-volatile storage technologies. It should benoted that the use of the term “non-transitory” is a limitation on themedium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitationon data storage persistency (i.e., RAM vs. ROM).

The memory 30 can provide for NRT or Internet-delivered content such asInternet Protocol Television (IPTV). The memory stores a navigationalscheme 31 which provides, for example, the on-screen channel guide or anelectronic programming guide (EPG), that allows the user to selectdesired content accessible via one or more communication interfaces tocontent sources such as a television broadcast and the Internet.

A VCT provides a channel map for the CPU 10 to determine what contentreceived by the tuner interface 50 corresponds to a user selectedvirtual channel entered via the remote control unit 61 or thenavigational scheme 31.

The tuner interface 50 receives content and/or a service providedthrough any suitable delivery source such as a terrestrial broadcast,cable transmission, satellite broadcast, or the Internet. The contentand/or service is provided by one or more content providers. In oneembodiment, the content and/or service is contained in a TS thatincludes one or more of channel data, VCT data, etc. The TS is receivedat the tuner interface 50 and is demultiplexed at demultiplexer 51 intoaudio, video, and/or data streams. The audio and/or video streams aredecoded at decoder 52 within the tuner interface 50. Data streams fromthe content provider 53 contain information such as VCT datacorresponding to the channels provided by the content provider 53. Thisdata provided by the content provider 53 is placed in the VCT 32 withinthe reception apparatus memory 30 via the CPU 10. In certainembodiments, the VCT data is acquired from one or more secondary serversinstead of the TS.

The reception apparatus 1 generally operates under control of aprocessor such as CPU 10 which may be interconnected to any one or acombination of a memory 30, an audio interface 20, display interface 40,and remote control receiver 60 via one or more buses 11. When the TS isdemultiplexed at the demultiplexer 51, audio and video data are sent tothe decoder for decoding and sent to the audio interface 20 and displayinterface 40, respectively. In addition to the audio and video data, thedemultiplexer also receives VCT data updated by the content provider 53to the VCT 32 in the memory 30. In certain embodiments, the VCT data isupdated using the one or more secondary servers instead of the TS.

In one embodiment, the data in the VCT 32 is then used to update thenavigational scheme 31 available to the user with the respective contentavailable from the TS provided by the content provider 53. In additionto the content available from the content provider 53, the user can alsoaccess the Internet 71 through a network interface 70 with Internetcontent being generated and displayed via a browser 34 or anotherappropriate application or player located in the memory 30.

When the user enters a channel number using the remote control unit 61or selects a channel number via the navigational scheme 31, as presentedon the display 41, the CPU 10 will receive the desired virtual channelnumber and access the VCT 32 in order to determine if there is acorresponding entry. If a match is found, then the CPU 10 will instructthe tuner interface to tune to the selected physical transmissionchannel and present the content associated with the channel via thedisplay interface 40 and audio interface 20, which are connected to thedisplay 41 and a speaker 21, respectively.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the hardware components of thereception apparatus 1. The reception apparatus 1 includes atuner/demodulator 202, which receives content and/or a service from oneor more content sources such as a terrestrial broadcast or a cabletelevision transmission. The reception apparatus 1 may also, oralternatively, receive content from a satellite broadcast.

The tuner/demodulator 202 receives a TS, which is demultiplexed by thedemultiplexer 206 into audio and video (AN) streams. The audio isdecoded by an audio decoder 210 and the video is decoded by a videodecoder 214. Further, uncompressed A/V data may be received via anuncompressed AN interface (e.g., a HDMI interface) that can beselectively utilized.

In one embodiment, the TS includes ancillary information such as one ormore of caption data, PSIP data, various tables, etc. However, in otherembodiments, the A/V content and/or a subset or all of the ancillaryinformation may be received via the Internet 30 and a network interface226.

A storage memory 230 is provided to store NRT or Internet-deliveredcontent such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). The stored contentcan be played by demultiplexing the content stored in the storage memory230 by the demultiplexer 206 in a manner similar to that of othersources of content.

The reception apparatus 1 generally operates under control of at leastone processor, such as CPU 238, which is coupled to a working memory240, program memory 242, and a graphics subsystem 244 via one or morebuses (e.g., bus 250). The CPU 238 receives closed caption data from thedemultiplexer 206 as well as any other information such as EPGs used forrendering graphics, and passes the information to the graphics subsystem244. The graphics outputted by the graphics subsystem 244 are combinedwith video images by the compositor and video interface (compositor) 260to produce an output suitable for display on a video display.

Further, the CPU 238 operates to carry out functions of the receptionapparatus 20 including the processing of terrestrial broadcast channelinformation, service information, determining broadcast channels thatare estimated to be receivable, identification of available channelsand/or services, generating a list of available channels and/orservices, processes for generating the VCT or other channel data, and/orbrowser operations. The browser operations, in one embodiment, includeaccessing the primary server 70 and/or secondary servers 73A, 73B toacquire channel and/or service information to facilitate theidentification of the available channels and/or services. The processingof the terrestrial broadcast channel and service information may includeextracting predetermined parameters of interest.

Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are describedusing a VCT as an example of a list of available channels and/orservices, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not solimited. Other embodiments include, for example, the generation of amore simplified list of candidate or available channels and/or servicesor other channel map or data structures. An example of another datastructure that describes a list of available services is the Service MapTable (SMT) defined in ATSC A/153 Part 3, Section 7.3. ATSC A/153 isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In television standards under development, more complex serviceofferings beyond simple audio/video (“linear” television service) areanticipated. These more complex offerings may combine broadcastaudio/video/data sources with service components delivered by broadbandpaths (e.g., the Internet). The characteristics of these more complexservices can be delivered in the SDD, in a suitable structure that mightbe considered to be an extension of the current A/65 VCT.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for generating a list ofaccessible channels (e.g., a VCT) in the reception apparatus 1. At stepS402, the reception apparatus 1 starts the list generation process. Thelist generation process is started for example during an initial setupof the reception apparatus 1 or in response to a request by a user ofthe reception apparatus 1 to search for accessible channels. In the caseof a mobile receiver, the list generation process may be started basedon changes in receiver location or loss of a currently tuned signal.

Further, in step S402, the reception apparatus 1 optionally performs oneor more initialization processes. For example, the reception apparatus 1checks whether or not a geographical location of the reception apparatus1 has changed. The reception apparatus 1 performs this check by, forexample, checking GPS coordinates if available. In one embodiment, whenbroadcast signals from one or more listed channels that had previouslybeen acquired can no longer be acquired, the reception apparatusdetermines that the geographical location of the reception apparatus haschanged.

Additionally, the reception apparatus 1 may check the list of thechannels stored in a memory of the reception apparatus. For example, thereception apparatus 1 determines whether a previously generated VCT isavailable in which the generation process may take into account thepreexisting list. The Internet/network connection of the receptionapparatus 1 may also be checked by the reception apparatus 1.

At step S404, the reception apparatus 1 optionally determines ageographical location of the reception apparatus 1. As described above,such a determination may be performed by translation from a residentialaddress or via a GPS function available to the reception apparatus 1.Furthermore, an approximate or exact location of the receiver may bedetermined using the IP address of the reception apparatus 1, inconjunction with information provided by the ISP. In one embodiment, thereception apparatus 1 selects the appropriate geographical region from adisplayed list. In another embodiment, the location is manually enteredby the user of the reception apparatus 1 (e.g., a home address, zipcode, etc.). It is noted that similar methods for the location of anelectronic device may be used as the scope of the current disclosure isindependent of how the location of the reception apparatus isdetermined.

At step S406, the reception apparatus 1 retrieves terrestrial broadcastchannel information (e.g., one or more BLD records) from the primaryserver 70. The reception apparatus 1 retrieves a location (e.g., URLaddress) of a regional server (e.g., primary server 70) from a memory ofthe reception apparatus 1.

In one embodiment, the reception apparatus 1 accesses the primary server70 based on the country in which the reception apparatus 1 is operating.The country information may be automatically determined or inputted bythe user.

As described above, the location (e.g., URL) of the regional server foreach region may be provided in advance. For example, in an exemplaryembodiment, the URL of the regional server (e.g., U.S., Canada, U.K,etc.) may be built or preprogrammed into memory of receivers during themanufacturing process. Alternatively, a user may enter the URL for theregional server manually. Alternatively, the location of the regionalserver may be obtained from the manufacturer's server.

The reception apparatus 1 uses the URL address to access the primaryserver 70 and retrieve terrestrial broadcast channel informationassociated with a predetermined geographical region. The predeterminedgeographical region may correspond to a country or may be determinedbased on the geographical location of the reception apparatus 1. In oneembodiment, the reception apparatus 1 obtains terrestrial broadcastchannel information associated with a predetermined geographical region(e.g., a country) and locally filters the obtained predeterminedgeographical region based on the geographical location of the receptionapparatus 1. In other embodiments, the filtering is performed by theprimary server 70.

Examples of the geographical region include, but are not limited to, acontinent, a country, a state, a city, a zip or postal code, or anysimilar geographical area. Such information may include, for example,information regarding the broadcasters operating in the geographicalregions such as one or a combination of call sign, broadcast frequency,virtual channel information, and broadcaster server location, asdescribed above.

The reception apparatus 1 then downloads a full database file, oraccesses a pre-filtered file based on, for example, zip code, statecode, county code, or similar information. As described above, thereception apparatus 1 may have a user setup menu in which zip codeand/or state information is entered. When downloading a filtered file,the reception apparatus 1 optionally uses the geographical location ofthe reception apparatus 1 determined at step S404.

At step S408, the reception apparatus 1 identifies at least onebroadcaster with a broadcast channel that is estimated to be withinrange of the reception apparatus 1. For example, the reception apparatus1 processes the data in the file downloaded at step S406 to determinewhich broadcasters are operating potentially within its range ofreception and which broadcasters are too far away (i.e., no chance ofreception) and can be disregarded.

In another embodiment, processing of the downloaded file is skipped andthe at least one broadcaster includes all broadcasters in theterrestrial broadcast channel information.

At step S410, the reception apparatus 1 retrieves, for each of the atleast one broadcaster, service information (e.g., SDD) from a secondaryserver associated with the respective broadcaster. For example, thereception apparatus 1 uses the URL associated with a BLS to download theSDD associated with that broadcaster. In another embodiment, thereception apparatus 1 downloads the service information from the primaryserver 70 or from any other predetermined location.

At step S412, the reception apparatus 1 determines, for each of the atleast one broadcaster, whether the broadcast channel associated with therespective broadcaster is receivable by the reception apparatus 1. Forexample, using the SDD, the reception apparatus 1 identifies thephysical transmission frequency and modulation parameter(s) (whenapplicable), and then tunes to (and attempts to acquire the broadcastsignal on) the designated broadcast channel.

For example, for each broadcast channel, the reception apparatus 1determines whether a characteristic of the terrestrial broadcast signalcarried on the respective broadcast channel is greater than or equal toa predetermined threshold. Exemplary characteristics include success orfailure to lock to the digital carrier, signal level (e.g., asillustrated in FIG. 8), signal-to-noise ratio, data error rate, etc.

At step S414, the reception apparatus 1 generates a list of accessiblechannels that includes any broadcast channels determined to bereceivable by the reception apparatus 1. For example, if acquisition ofa broadcast signal is successful, the broadcast channel listed in theSDD is added to the list of accessible channels, and the services listedin the SDD are added to the list (e.g., in a VCT). If acquisition fails,the SDD may be saved, but the channels and other data are not presentedto the user. Any broadcaster channel information included in the SDD, orextracted from the broadcast channel, may also be added to the list ofaccessible channels. For example, data not available from the SDD isextracted from the broadcast channel.

Note that the process of determining whether or not a viable signal ispresent at a given carrier frequency can be performed relativelyquickly. Because the service information, including potentially verydetailed program guide information, has already been provided in theSDD, the scanning process can proceed without waiting for that sameinformation to be made available in the broadcast, thereby optimizingthe setup process. While the same SDD information may be available inthe broadcast emission, due to the bandwidth allocated to it and therepetition rate of the tables, a receiver may need to wait a significantamount of time to retrieve all of it.

At step S416, the process is completed. In one embodiment, steps S412,S414 are performed separately for each broadcaster (or broadcastchannel). In this case, steps S412, S414, and optionally S410, areperformed on a per broadcaster basis and repeated until all broadcastchannels have been visited. In another embodiment, one or more of thesteps S410, S412, S414 is performed for all broadcasters beforeadvancing to a subsequent step. In yet another embodiment, these stepsmay be performed in parallel: access to the secondary servers (i.e., theSDD servers) may be made while at the same time the tuning to thepotential services is handled.

In certain embodiments, the reception apparatus 1 omits step S410. Inthis case, the reception apparatus 1 performs the determination in stepS412 based on broadcast channel information (e.g., the RF channel)identified in the service information. For example, the receptionapparatus 1 omits step S410 for one or more broadcasters when thereception apparatus 1 does not have access to the Internet 71, asecondary server is not otherwise accessible by the reception apparatus1, or the location of the secondary server information is not includedin the terrestrial broadcast channel information.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of another method for generating a list ofaccessible channels (e.g., a VCT). At step S502, the reception apparatus1 starts the list generation process in a manner similar to step S402.Steps S504, S506 are analogous to steps S404, S406. At step S508, thereception apparatus 1 determines a set of terrestrial broadcast channelsthat are within a range of reception of the reception apparatus 1. Forexample, the reception apparatus 1 makes the determination in a mannersimilar to step S408. Alternatively, the reception apparatus 1determines that all terrestrial broadcast channels included in theterrestrial broadcast channel information are initially within range.

At step S510, the reception apparatus 1 generates the VCT based on theset of terrestrial broadcast channels. For example, the receptionapparatus generates the VCT by sequentially tuning to each of thebroadcast channels in the set to determine whether a digital televisionssignal can be acquired. Alternatively, the reception apparatus 1initially includes all the broadcast channels in the set in the VCT andperforms testing, and removal if necessary, at the time the channel isfirst tuned to by a user.

In one embodiment, the VCT is generated in accordance with ATSC standardA/65 and populated with data acquired when each broadcast channel istuned to determine whether a broadcast signal is receivable. In otherembodiments, a portion or all of the VCT is generated from data acquiredfrom at least one of the primary and secondary servers.

At step S512, the reception apparatus 1 uses the generated VCT to tunethe reception apparatus 1 without searching or scanning the frequenciesfor different channels. In another embodiment, the broadcast channelslisted in the VCT are tuned to acquire any information that may bemissing from the VCT. At step S514, the process is completed.

As described above, in certain embodiments, the terrestrial broadcastchannel information is retrieved from a primary server 70. For example,the terrestrial broadcast channel information is retrieved from an FCCdatabase of licensed broadcast stations in the United States. Such adatabase is currently accessible on the World Wide Web at the followingURL address: fcc.gov/encyclopedia/tv-query-broadcast-station-search.

The FCC search page allows searching to be performed based on variousparameters, such as state, call sign, application file number, city,channel range, service types (e.g., digital television, land mobile,etc.), and record types (e.g., licensed stations, pending applications,and construction permits). The reception apparatus 1 is configured toquery the FCC search page using one or more appropriate parameters toretrieve terrestrial broadcast channel information and to identifyrelevant information using keywords for example or recognition of thedata structure of any search results.

FIG. 7A shows exemplary search results for DTV stations in the state ofWashington. That example may be retrieved from the World Wide Web at thefollowing URL address:transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state=WA&call=&arm=&city=&chan=&cha2=69&serv=DT&type=0&facid=&list=2&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&size=9.

The database shows for example transmitter location(latitude/longitude), height above average terrain (HAAT), andtransmitted power. An exemplary detailed record of KCTS-TV isillustrated in FIG. 7B. The detailed record links to additionalinformation. For example, the detailed record contains a link to aservice contour on Google map, which results in display of theinformation illustrated in FIG. 7C. This map was generated by clickingon “Maps: Service Contour on Google map (36 dBu)” in the data recordassociated with KCTS-TV, Seattle Wash. Any of this information can beutilized by the reception apparatus 1 to determine channels that areestimated to be receivable or receivable by the reception apparatus 1.

Service contours are described in further detail on the World Wide Webat the following URL address:transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/MB/Databases/tv_service_contour_data/readme.html,which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example,as described in this website, the TV service contours usually do notdefine the outer limit of service. A television station may still bereceived at locations outside (and sometimes well outside) the servicecontours given in these files. Thus, in certain embodiments, thereception apparatus 1 uses this information, and may increase the radiusby a predetermined or customizable amount, when generating the list ofaccessible channels.

As described above, FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary signal levels neededfor reliable DTV reception (e.g., according to ATSC standard A/53, whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). As illustrated inFIG. 8, the signal level needed depends on frequency. In the example,illustrated in FIG. 7C, the channel was in the 7-13 range, thus 36 dBuwas used as the limit. However, other signal level limits may beutilized and may vary depending on the type of transmission scheme usedto transmit the DTV signal.

FIG. 9 illustrates exemplary service contours for four broadcastersBr1-Br4. A reception apparatus 1 located in area B, as shown in FIG. 9,is within reception range for Br1-Br3 but is not in reception range ofBr4. Similarly, a reception apparatus 1 located in area C is withinreception range for Br2-Br3 but is not within reception range for Br1and Br4. In this case, when a user enters the state of Nevada (NV) as alocation of the reception apparatus 1, or the reception apparatus 1detects the state of Nevada as a physical location of the receptionapparatus 1, the reception apparatus 1 accesses the primary server 70and obtains the information regarding the channels whose signals may beaccessible to receivers located in NV.

Br2 and Br3 are being broadcasted in the state of Nevada. Although Br4and Br1 are not physically located in the state of Nevada, they coversome areas in NV. Thus, in certain embodiments, the terrestrialbroadcast channel information for a state or other geographical regionincludes broadcasters that may not be physically located in the state orother geographical region but transmit broadcast signals that arereceivable by that state or other geographical region.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardwareconfiguration of a computer 1100 configured to function as, or control,any one or a combination of the reception apparatus 1, content providers53 a, 53 b, primary server 70, and secondary servers 73A, 73B.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the computer 1100 includes a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 1102, read only memory (ROM) 1104, and a randomaccess memory (RAM) 1106 interconnected to each other via one or morebuses 1108. The one or more buses 1108 is further connected with aninput-output interface 1110. The input-output interface 1110 isconnected with an input portion 1112 formed by a keyboard, a mouse, amicrophone, remote controller, etc. The input-output interface 1110 isalso connected to a output portion 1114 formed by an audio interface,video interface, display, speaker, etc.; a recording portion 1116 formedby a hard disk, a non-volatile memory, etc.; a communication portion 818formed by a network interface, modem, USB interface, fire wireinterface, etc.; and a drive 1120 for driving removable media 1122 suchas a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, asemiconductor memory, etc.

According to one embodiment, the CPU 1102 loads a program stored in therecording portion 1116 into the RAM 1106 via the input-output interface1110 and the bus 1108, and then executes a program configured to providethe functionality, or control of the one or combination of the receptionapparatus 1, content providers 53 a, 53 b, primary server 70, andsecondary servers 73A, 73B.

Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described usingdigital terrestrial broadcasts as an example, it should be noted thatthe present disclosure is not so limited. The embodiments described inthe present disclosure could be utilized in other applications, forexample to reduce the amount of time required to search for availablechannels and/or services provided in analog radio broadcasts, digitalradio broadcasts, a CATV system, a satellite system, the Internet, etc.In one example, the Internet could replace an out of band channel (OOB)used to convey service information.

Further, as described above, a reception apparatus 1 receivesterrestrial broadcast channel information (e.g., BLD) from a primaryserver 70 and service information (e.g., SDD) from one or more secondaryservers. However, as described above, the primary and at least one ofthe secondary servers can be implemented by the same server. Moreover,although the terrestrial broadcast channel and service information havebeen described as incorporating certain data, it should be noted theterrestrial broadcast channel information can be configured to includeall or a portion of any of the data defined in the service informationand vice versa.

Further, as described above, a reception apparatus 1 retrievesterrestrial broadcast channel information from a primary server 70.However, in another embodiment, the service information is obtained fromanother source such as a portable memory or a broadcaster's TS. Forexample, in one embodiment, each broadcaster within a predeterminedgeographical area transmits service information. Thus, even when thereception apparatus 1 does not have Internet access, the receptionapparatus 1 can still reduce the time required to identify availablechannels and/or services after performing a channel scan to identify areduced number of broadcast channels (e.g., a single broadcast channel).

Moreover, in some cases, terrestrial broadcast channel information for apredetermined geographical area, or a list of candidate broadcastchannels estimated to be receivable by the reception apparatus 1,includes multiple broadcasters associated with the same broadcastchannel. In one embodiment, the reception apparatus 1 tunes to thebroadcast channel first to determine which BLS to access. Alternatively,the reception apparatus 1 acquires information directly from the tunedbroadcast channel information without accessing the BLS.

In certain embodiments, the reception apparatus 1 stores the locationsof the BLSs associated with the broadcast channels it receives. Thus,the reception apparatus 1 can retrieve service information (e.g.,program guide data or any other broadcast channel metadata) moreefficiently for example as compared to extracting such information froma broadcast carousel.

Certain embodiments disclosed in the present application can bestandardized, for example, by Advanced Television Systems Committee (inthe standards known as “ATSC 3.0”). Therefore, all of thenext-generation TV receivers deployed in US markets are in the scope ofthe present disclosure. Additionally, the embodiments of the presentdisclosure can be adapted for international use with various ATSCstandards. In order to achieve the standardization, the structure andformat of the BLS and BLD files may be defined as well as the protocolsused to access the BLS and BLD files. Furthermore, such standardizationmay include development of recommended practices for broadcasters andreceiver manufacturers.

The embodiments described in the present disclosure provide severaladvantages. For example, the reception apparatus 1 is provided with alocation of an Internet-based server operated by the local broadcaster.The URL can not only provide channel and/or service information to thereception apparatus 1, but it can also provide pointers to otherresources that may enhance the viewer's enjoyment of the channel. Suchpointers to other resources, include, but are not limited to,interactive content associated with the channel, a questionnaire thatmay be used to personalize the user's experience of the channel, apointer to the broadcaster's Internet home page, and/or a pointer to aserver the reception apparatus 1 may use to report service usageinformation.

As another advantage, the channel map provided by the broadcaster'sweb-based server (e.g., the secondary servers 73A, 73B) may also includereferences to services available only to Internet-connected receivers.Such services may include NRT (non-real-time file-based) services,pay-per-view offerings, and streaming video services that may beseamlessly integrated with the broadcast channel map.

Further, in certain embodiments, the reception apparatus 1 is a mobilereceiver. For example, in a car or recreational vehicle, or portablemeaning that it is carried by the viewer. The mobile receiver may be ina vehicle that is traveling across the country. If Internet access isavailable before or during the trip, the database for the whole country,or several nearby states, may be downloaded beforehand to assist thereception apparatus 1 in maintaining access to a large number of DTVstations as the reception apparatus 1 is being physically moved aboutthe country.

For example, the terrestrial broadcast channel information acquired fromthe primary server 70 and/or service information acquired from thesecondary server 73A or 73B can be used to handle hand-offs when amobile receiver leaves a broadcast range of a currently tuned broadcastchannel. In this embodiment, the mobile receiver is configured todetermine whether another broadcast channel that is related to thecurrently tuned broadcast channel is available based on at least one ofthe terrestrial broadcast channel and service information. At a minimum,the time needed to scan for channels when the mobile receiver leaves thebroadcast range can be reduced.

It is also noted that the metadata describing the geographic areaencompassed by the broadcaster's designated market area (DMA) may beauthenticated, for example, by a signed certificate. If the physicallocation of the reception apparatus 1 is also authenticated, onlyreceivers that actually reside within the boundaries of the DMA can beauthorized to receive certain services.

The various processes discussed above need not be processedchronologically and/or in the sequence depicted as flowcharts; the stepsmay also include those processed in parallel or individually (e.g., inparalleled or object-oriented fashion).

Also, the programs may be processed by a single computer or by aplurality of computers on a distributed basis. The programs may also betransferred to a remote computer or computers for execution.

Furthermore, in this specification, the term “system” means an aggregateof a plurality of component elements (apparatuses, modules (parts),etc.). All component elements may or may not be housed in a singleenclosure. Therefore, a plurality of apparatuses each housed in aseparate enclosure and connected via a network are considered a system,and a single apparatus formed by a plurality of modules housed in asingle enclosure are also regarded as a system.

Also, it should be understood that this technology when embodied is notlimited to the above-described embodiments and that variousmodifications, variations and alternatives may be made of thistechnology so far as they are within the spirit and scope thereof.

For example, this technology may be structured for cloud computingwhereby a single function is shared and processed in collaboration amonga plurality of apparatuses via a network.

Also, each of the steps explained in reference to the above-describedflowcharts may be executed not only by a single apparatus but also by aplurality of apparatuses in a shared manner.

Furthermore, if one step includes a plurality of processes, theseprocesses included in the step may be performed not only by a singleapparatus but also by a plurality of apparatuses in a shared manner.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present disclosure arepossible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims, the presentdisclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein.

The above disclosure also encompasses the embodiments noted below.

(1) A method for generating a list of accessible channels in a receptionapparatus, the method comprising: retrieving from a primary server, viaa communication network, terrestrial broadcast channel informationassociated with a predetermined geographical region, the terrestrialbroadcast channel information including, for each broadcaster associatedwith the predetermined geographical region, one or a combination of abroadcast channel and a secondary server location associated with therespective broadcaster; retrieving, for each of at least one broadcasterassociated with the predetermined geographical region, serviceinformation from a secondary server associated with the respectivebroadcaster based on the terrestrial broadcast channel information;determining, for each of the at least one broadcaster associated withthe predetermined geographical region, whether the broadcast channelassociated with the respective broadcaster is receivable by thereception apparatus; and generating the list of accessible channels thatincludes any broadcast channels determined to be receivable by thereception apparatus.

(2) The method of feature (1), further comprises identifying the atleast one broadcaster based on the terrestrial broadcast channelinformation and based on a geographical location of the receptionapparatus, each of the at least one broadcaster being associated with abroadcast channel estimated to be receivable by the reception apparatus.

(3) The method of feature (1) or (2), in which the service informationfor each of the at least one broadcaster includes one or a combinationof the broadcast channel, one or more modulation modes, metadatadescribing a broadcast multiplex carried on the broadcast channel, adescription of one or more services available within the broadcastmultiplex, and program guide data.

(4) The method of any of features (1) to (3), in which the broadcastchannel is a digital television broadcast channel

(5) The method of any of features (1) to (4), in which the step ofdetermining comprises: tuning to each broadcast channel associated withone of the at least one broadcaster; and when the reception apparatus istuned to the respective broadcast channel, determining whether acharacteristic of a terrestrial broadcast signal carried on therespective broadcast channel is greater than or equal to a predeterminedthreshold value.

(6) The method of any of features (1) to (5), in which the step ofretrieving from the primary server comprises retrieving the terrestrialbroadcast channel information associated with the predeterminedgeographical region based on one or a combination of country, state,city, province, zip code, and longitude-latitude.

(7) The method of any of features (1) to (6), further comprisingperiodically updating the list of accessible channels based on any newbroadcast channels that are determined to be receivable by the receptionapparatus.

(8) The method of any of features (1) to (7), in which the receptionapparatus is a mobile device.

(9) The method of any of features (1) to (8), in which the primaryserver is managed by a government entity that manages wireless spectrumwithin the predetermined geographical region.

(10) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a programwhich when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform themethod of any of features (1) to (9).

(11) A reception apparatus, comprising: circuitry configured to retrievefrom a primary server, via a communication network, terrestrialbroadcast channel information associated with a predeterminedgeographical region, the terrestrial broadcast channel informationincluding, for each broadcaster associated with the predeterminedgeographical region, one or a combination of a broadcast channel and asecondary server location associated with the respective broadcaster,retrieve, for each of at least one broadcaster associated with thepredetermined geographical region, service information from a secondaryserver associated with the respective broadcaster based on theterrestrial broadcast channel information, determine, for each of the atleast one broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographicalregion, whether the broadcast channel associated with the respectivebroadcaster is receivable by the reception apparatus, and generate alist of accessible channels that includes any broadcast channelsdetermined to be receivable by the reception apparatus.

(12) The reception apparatus of feature (11), in which the circuitry isfurther configured to identify the at least one broadcaster based on theterrestrial broadcast channel information and based on a geographicallocation of the reception apparatus, each of the at least onebroadcaster being associated with a broadcast channel estimated to bereceivable by the reception apparatus.

(13) The reception apparatus of feature (11) or (12), in which theservice information for each of the at least one broadcaster includesone or a combination of the broadcast channel, one or more modulationmodes, metadata describing a broadcast multiplex carried on thebroadcast channel, a description of one or more services availablewithin the broadcast multiplex, and program guide data.

(14) The reception apparatus of any of features (11) to (13), in whichthe broadcast channel is a digital television broadcast channel

(15) The reception apparatus of any of features (11) to (14), in whichthe circuitry is further configured to tune to each broadcast channelassociated with one of the at least one broadcaster; and when thereception apparatus is tuned to the respective broadcast channel,determine whether the respective broadcast channel is receivable by thereception apparatus based on whether a characteristic of a terrestrialbroadcast signal carried on the respective broadcast channel is greaterthan or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

(16) The reception apparatus of any of features (11) to (15), in whichthe circuitry is configured to retrieve the terrestrial broadcastchannel information associated with the predetermined geographicalregion based on one or a combination of country, state, city, province,zip code, and longitude-latitude.

(17) The reception apparatus of any of features (11) to (16), in whichthe circuitry is further configured to periodically update the list ofaccessible channels based on any new broadcast channels that aredetermined to be receivable by the reception apparatus.

(18) The reception apparatus of any of features (11) to (17), in whichthe reception apparatus is a mobile device.

(19) The reception apparatus of any of features (11) to (17), in whichthe primary server is managed by a government entity that manageswireless spectrum within the predetermined geographical region.

(20) An information providing apparatus, comprising: a memory configuredto store service information associated with at least one broadcasterthat broadcasts a digital television signal to a reception apparatus,the service information including, for each of the at least onebroadcaster, one or a combination of a broadcast channel, one or moremodulation modes, metadata describing a broadcast multiplex carried onthe broadcast channel, a description of one or more services availablewithin the broadcast multiplex, and program guide; and circuitryconfigured to provide the service information to a reception apparatusthat is configured to generate a list of accessible channels based onthe service information.

1. A method for generating a list of accessible channels in a receptionapparatus, the method comprising: retrieving from a primary server, viaa communication network, terrestrial broadcast channel informationassociated with a predetermined geographical region, the terrestrialbroadcast channel information including, for each broadcaster associatedwith the predetermined geographical region, a secondary server locationassociated with the respective broadcaster; retrieving, via thecommunication network and for each of at least one broadcasterassociated with the predetermined geographical region, serviceinformation from a secondary server associated with the respectivebroadcaster based on the respective secondary server location includedin the terrestrial broadcast channel information; determining, for eachof the at least one broadcaster associated with the predeterminedgeographical region, whether the broadcast channel associated with therespective broadcaster is receivable by the reception apparatus; andgenerating the list of accessible channels that includes any broadcastchannels determined to be receivable by the reception apparatus.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: identifying the at least onebroadcaster based on the terrestrial broadcast channel information andbased on a geographical location of the reception apparatus, each of theat least one broadcaster being associated with a broadcast channelestimated to be receivable by the reception apparatus.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the service information for each of the at least onebroadcaster includes one or a combination of the broadcast channel, oneor more modulation modes, metadata describing a broadcast multiplexcarried on the broadcast channel, a description of one or more servicesavailable within the broadcast multiplex, and program guide data.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the broadcast channel is a digital televisionbroadcast channel
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofdetermining comprises: tuning to each broadcast channel associated withone of the at least one broadcaster; and when the reception apparatus istuned to the respective broadcast channel, determining whether acharacteristic of a terrestrial broadcast signal carried on therespective broadcast channel is greater than or equal to a predeterminedthreshold value.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofretrieving from the primary server comprises: retrieving the terrestrialbroadcast channel information associated with the predeterminedgeographical region based on one or a combination of country, state,city, province, zip code, and longitude-latitude.
 7. The method of claim1, further comprising: periodically updating the list of accessiblechannels based on any new broadcast channels that are determined to bereceivable by the reception apparatus.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe reception apparatus is a mobile device.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the primary server is managed by a government entity thatmanages wireless spectrum within the predetermined geographical region.10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a programwhich when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform themethod of claim
 1. 11. A reception apparatus, comprising: circuitryconfigured to retrieve from a primary server, via a communicationnetwork, terrestrial broadcast channel information associated with apredetermined geographical region, the terrestrial broadcast channelinformation including, for each broadcaster associated with thepredetermined geographical region, one or a combination of a broadcastchannel and a secondary server location associated with the respectivebroadcaster, retrieve, via the communication network and for each of atleast one broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographicalregion, service information from a secondary server associated with therespective broadcaster based on the respective secondary server locationincluded in the terrestrial broadcast channel information, determine,for each of the at least one broadcaster associated with thepredetermined geographical region, whether the broadcast channelassociated with the respective broadcaster is receivable by thereception apparatus, and generate a list of accessible channels thatincludes any broadcast channels determined to be receivable by thereception apparatus.
 12. The reception apparatus of claim 11, whereinthe circuitry is further configured to identify the at least onebroadcaster based on the terrestrial broadcast channel information andbased on a geographical location of the reception apparatus, each of theat least one broadcaster being associated with a broadcast channelestimated to be receivable by the reception apparatus.
 13. The receptionapparatus of claim 11, wherein the service information for each of theat least one broadcaster includes one or a combination of the broadcastchannel, one or more modulation modes, metadata describing a broadcastmultiplex carried on the broadcast channel, a description of one or moreservices available within the broadcast multiplex, and program guidedata.
 14. The reception apparatus of claim 11, wherein the broadcastchannel is a digital television broadcast channel
 15. The receptionapparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured totune to each broadcast channel associated with one of the at least onebroadcaster; and when the reception apparatus is tuned to the respectivebroadcast channel, determine whether the respective broadcast channel isreceivable by the reception apparatus based on whether a characteristicof a terrestrial broadcast signal carried on the respective broadcastchannel is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. 16.The reception apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configuredto retrieve the terrestrial broadcast channel information associatedwith the predetermined geographical region based on one or a combinationof country, state, city, province, zip code, and longitude-latitude. 17.The reception apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is furtherconfigured to periodically update the list of accessible channels basedon any new broadcast channels that are determined to be receivable bythe reception apparatus.
 18. The reception apparatus of claim 11,wherein the reception apparatus is a mobile device.
 19. The receptionapparatus of claim 11, wherein the primary server is managed by agovernment entity that manages wireless spectrum within thepredetermined geographical region.
 20. An information providingapparatus, comprising: a memory configured to store service informationassociated with at least one broadcaster that broadcasts a digitaltelevision signal to a reception apparatus, the service informationincluding, for each of the at least one broadcaster, one or acombination of a broadcast channel, one or more modulation modes,metadata describing a broadcast multiplex carried on the broadcastchannel, a description of one or more services available within thebroadcast multiplex, and program guide data; and circuitry configured toprovide the service information to a reception apparatus that isconfigured to generate a list of accessible channels based on theservice information, wherein the digital television signal is broadcaston the broadcast channel, and the service information is provided via aseparate communication network.